Container carrier clip



Dec. 10,1957 J. v. FISHER 2,

' CONTAINER CARRIER CLIP 0riginal Filed Aug. 5, 1950 2 Sh eets-Sheet l .mrz/vrok Ja nv 4 FIJI/ER ATTI HIVEY D 1957 J. v. FISHER- 1 2,815,855

CONTAINER CARRIER CLIP Original Filed Aug. 5. 1950 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGQ.

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The invention has for its objects, among others, the

tts Patent provision ofa carrier' or clip-providing a-simplified expedient whereby a groupof two, three, four or more cans or similar containers may be held together for easy transportation by hand. The carrier is constructed with a minimumamount oimateri-al for punch press ormolding fabrication. The. carrier isdesigned to facilitate a push-on or snap-on action" with respectto the group of cans. The carrier andtheucans heldthereby can be packed inconventional cases, and atthesame time a multiple unititem-is provided for easy storagein the refrigerator-s or on the shelves of stores and. for

handling by thecustomer as a carry-home item.

The above and other objects of the inveutionareobtained as illustrated-in connection with certain preferred embodiments of the invention, asshown in the accompanying drawings, t in which:

Figure. l is a perspective view of four cans held .together by a carrier clip-embodying the inventionoherein described.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the arrangement of the" four can carrier clip shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken as indicated by the line 3-3 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to Figure 3, but showing the carrier clip during its attachment to the cans.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the four can carrier clip shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a view of a modified form of carrier clip embodying the invention herein described and illustrating this form of carrier clip in position for attachment to two adjacent cans.

Figure 7 is .a view of the modification shown in Figure 6 showing the clip in assembled relation with respect to a pair of adjacent cans.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of another modified form of a can carrier clip in assembled relation on a pair of cans.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of six cans held together by a modified form of carrier clip embodying the invention herein described.

Figure 10 is a plan view of the modification shown in Figure 10.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the modified form six can carrier clip shown in Figures 9 and 10.

Referring first to Figures 1 through 5, the can carrier clip 10 is shown in assembled relation in Figures 1, 2 and 3, with respect to a plurality of cans 11 having respective upper and lower beads 12 and 13. Each head, as will be noted from the drawings, extends not only beyond its end of the can but also beyond the periphery of the containers. As illustrated, the can carrier clip 10 in the embodiment shown in Figure 1 is provided with four can head engaging channel portions 16 each of which is U-shaped in cross-section to fit snugly over the projecting end of the can head and arcuate along its length to conform to the contour of the bead. The inner leg 16a p 2,815,855 Patented Dec. 10, 1957 over the bead 12 or 13, as the case may be, and to engage the bottomedge thereof. The portionof the flange 16b which extends beyond the lip is contoured to snugly engage or grip the outside of the can and is provided at its lower end with an outwardly projecting portion 16d which serves not to guide the flange 16b over the bead ofthe can but also to provide arelease grip for disengaging the. clip from the cans.

Preferably the can. carrier 10 is made of resilient material so that the lip 16c providesa snap-on construction which, upon applying the clip to the cans, will yield to permit the lip 16c to pass over the can head and then snap under the lower edge of the can head for tight, locking engagementtherewith. If. desired, however, the flanges 16 may be made of substantially non-resilient, deformable material .andbe crimped or otherwise formed intoplace with respect to the can head. after engagement with the can.

In Figures 6 and 7', the carrier clip 20 is generally similar in construction to that shown in Figures 1 through 5, the diiierences being that the. depending flange 21 is provided at the central portion of its lower edge with a reverse bend to provide a lip 21a. which locks against the bottomof the head 12 and against the exterior surface of the can. Here, again, the lip is preferably made of resilient material so'that the clip can be snapped on and oft".

It will be apparent that the carrier clip can be. constructedfor use with two-can and three-canunits aswell as the four-can unitshown. Also, by usinga second set of carrier units, either separately/conforming: them integrally in tandem arrangement, the four-can unit of Figure 1 can be increased to a six-can unit. This six can modification is illustrated in Figures 9, l0 and 11 wherein the clip 10' is merely a tandem arrangement of the clip 1% shown in the other figures of the drawing, said clip 1%) being in all other respects constructed exactly the same as the clip shown in the other figures. With this modification six cans 11' may be secured together by their top beads and, if desired, also by their bottom beads, thus providing a six can package which can be readily gripped by the thumb and forefingers. Likewise various other modifications of the invention may be employed depending upon the number of cans to be packaged or the method of package assembly to be employed. The two central openings in a six-can clip made by duplicating or joining two four-can clips will provide handy gripping means.

In the Figure 8 modification, the carrier clip 30 comprises a sheet of metal or the like, having a center body portion 31 formed with arcuate channel portions 31a to engage the can beads. The inner legs 32 of the channel engage the inside of the beads of adjacent cans. The outer ends 33 of the center portion 31 are folded under, after the channels 31a are fitted over the can beads, to provide a locking lip 34 with arcuate side edges 34a, to engage the bottom of the bead 12, thereby locking the clip to the cans. This particular modification is obviously not restricted for use in holding two cans only. As with the embodiments illustrated in the other figures of the drawings, this modification will, in practical operation be used in multiple form, with the clips used singly or formed integrally in one strip, to accommodate several cans at one time. Obviously, too, any desired handle (of metal, cardboard or other mate! 3. rial) may be formed with or attached to whatever clip arrangement is employed.

While I have shown and described certain preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be apparent that the invention is capable of further variation and modification without departing from the scope of the invention as delineated by the claims appended hereto.

This is a continuation of my copending U. S. application Serial Number 177,951, filed August 5, 1950, now abandoned.

-I claim:

1. In combination with four substantially identical cylindrical containers arranged in side-by-side relationship and each having an upstanding and radially projecting peripheral bead around the top thereof, a 'unitary carrier clip for a simultaneously engaging and anchoring together said four containers, said clip comprising four channel portions, each being substantially U-shaped in cross-section to fit overthe peripheral bead of one of the containers and arcuate in configuration to conform with a substantial arc of said peripheral bead, the outer leg of each channel portion engaging the inner edge of the peripheral bead of one of said containers and the inner leg of each channel portion being formed of resilient material and extended downwardly and inwardly to provide resilient lip which is snapped over and anchored against the outer surface of one of the containers adjacent its aforesaid peripheral bead, the four said channel portions being interconnected at their end portions to provide a central opening in the clip into which a thumb or finger may be inserted when the containers, clipped together, are carried by hand.

2. A carrier clip for simultaneously gripping and holding in spaced relationship the top portions of four cylindrical and substantially similar containers each having a peripheral bead on the upper edge thereof, said clip comprising four interconnected channel portions each being substantially U-shaped in cross section to fit over the peripheral bead of a cylindrical container and arcuate in configuration to conform with a substantial seg- 4 ment of such peripheral bead, the respective ends of said four channel portions being interconnected in substantially rectangular relationship to provide a finger gripping area at the central portion of the carrier clip, the outer leg of each channel portion being adapted to fit closely against the inner edge of the peripheral bead of a container and the inner leg of each channel portion being formed of resilient material and having a portion thereof normally spaced from the outer leg a distance less than the normal width of said channel thus providing a flange adapted to snap over the outer portion of said peripheral bead and grip the bottom edge thereof.

3. A carrier clip as claimed in claim 2 to one corner of which a substantially similar clip has been connected to provide a carrier clip for gripping and holding six of said cylindrical containers and thus forming two central openings to provide two inner gripping areas for convenience in carrying the container assembly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 193,479 Burgin July 24, 1877 603,455 Pinney May 3, 1898 1,440,544 Katzinger Jan. 2, 1923 1,516,232 Kratzer Nov. 18, 1924 1,579,221 Lumbeck Apr. 6, 1926 1,800,109 Selig Apr. 7, 1931 2,197,389 Vannucci Apr. 16, 1940 2,212,476 Kielberg Aug. 20, 1940 2,285,801 Burnet June 9, 1942 2,384,112 Meyer Sept. 4, 1945 2,440,902 Lutey May 4, 1948 2,524,922 Moburg Oct. 10, 1950 2,566,804 La Flamme Sept. 4, 1951 2,637,475 Gialanella May 5, 1953 2,646,911 Holmberg July 27, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 182,378 Great Britain July 6, 1922 

